Lily
by littleredcoat
Summary: nonmarysue OC, AxS eventually. Lily just thinks that there's no reason to gloat over your higher position on the food chain; that, and she has a grudge to satisfy. Alucard is mostly irritated, Seras is unsure, and Integra smells opportunity. DISCONTINUED
1. An Unusual Mission

A/N: I don't own hellsing. Making absolutely zero currency of any kind with this. I usually just leave it at that, but I have to say that I started this story a long time ago, and have since then, not majorly rewritten, but rather added a few details and changed a few small things that I think make this more believable within the Hellsing universe. As I was re-reading after a long hiatus, I noticed a few inconsistencies and a few just glaring mistakes regarding Hellsing lore that I needed to fix. Nothing major has changed, but it would probably be a good idea to re-read, because a many small things have changed to make this a more believable fic. If you notice anything I missed, please let me know. I promise I will not be offended. I am a glutton for constructive criticism.

Title: Lily

Chapter: 1-An Unusual Mission

Fandom: Hellsing

Pairing: Alucard/Seras, way on down the line.

Rating: I'd put it at an M rating now just for violence and language.

The old pain he had given her was there. She could feel all of it again, the numb ache of new bruises on top of older ones that hadn't faded yet, the broken ribs, her twisted ankle, the deep cuts and scrapes all over her skin. She began to panic as the fetid odor overpowered her again. "How long have I even been here? I've lost track since..." That roll in her stomach was back, the same one she felt when her naked body pressed into the filthy floor where she had fallen and simply had not the strength to move. She felt and heard him moving towards her in the cramped and darkened room more than she saw him, because she just didn't have the anger to open her eyes and focus them on him anymore. He stopped in front of her, and she heard him raise his foot from the ground, and prepared for the blow. It didn't come, and then he said, "Will you consent?" She felt a hot surge of panic and had to fight down the extremely unwise urge to burst into hysterical laughter. This time, she knew she would give in..."I can't take this anymore." And then she felt the sharp pain in her stomach.

Lily woke up breathing hard, body and sheets drenched in a cold sweat. "God, I'm getting fucking tired of that dream..." she thought as she stumbled to the bathroom and splashed her face with cold water. Her bathroom was all white porcelain and dingy pale tile, and when she finally opened her eyes enough to see she was almost blinded by the stark light. Looking into the red eyes that stared at her from the mirror above the sink, she saw her reflection purr at her, "This is going to be a good night."

Alucard was draped across his chair more than sitting in it, left leg thrown over the arm. He was sipping the blood that Walter had deposited on his table before he woke up when he felt that tug that meant Integra was calling him. Sighing, he gulped down the rest of his supper and slowly phased into her office, knowing that the longer it took to answer her summons the more annoyed she would be. It followed that it would then be much easier to get her to kick him out of said office, thus greatly reducing his amount of time spent taking orders. "Hey," he thought, "the system's tried and true. Why mess with a good thing?"

When he finally showed up smirking in her shadowed office, she was lighting one of her cigars with a slightly irritated look on her face. Walter was standing to the right side of her desk serving tea, finishing as Integra remarked "Nice of you to join us, Alucard." Smirk steadily expanding, he made a short mocking bow and replied "The pleasure is all mine, Master."

Integra had had an extremely trying day so far, and was already developing that, "There's a nail pounding into my right temple, and its name is Alucard" headache she was so familiar with. Pinching the bridge of her nose with one hand, she handed the mostly annoying vampire a manila folder. As he flipped it open disinterestedly, she explained, "I have an unusual mission for you tonight. You will be traveling alone to New York City, where we have received reports from our American allies that someone, or something, is making a significant dent in the FREAK population, in some rather gruesome ways. Of course, the bodies are ashes, but whoever it is may as well be decorating the walls with their entrails from what we can tell from the aftermath. Nonetheless, they have had no luck subduing the creature. You are to go and either bring the target here, or if he/she/it is deemed a threat to the human population, you are to silence it. I trust you will have no problems getting to the city?"

As Alucard looked through the file and listened to his master, his smirk slowly bled into that I'm-going-to-get-to-shoot-things grin and only got wider. "Of course not, Master." Integra's right eye twitched slightly as she shouted, "Well then get out of my office and get on with it!" The last thing Integra or Walter heard as the vampire slipped through one of his dark portals was "This is going to be a marvelous night." Integra sighed and sipped her tea as she looked at the mountain of paperwork on her desk as if she would like nothing better than to set the whole lot on fire. Walter coughed and excused himself, not finding it polite to mention how much his employer resembled a certain vampire servant when she had that look on her face.

Lily stepped out of the steamy bathroom after her shower and into the large sparsely decorated room she lived in, thinking about what to wear. More specifically, she was thinking about where her next meal would come from, as how she dressed was directly influenced by who she wanted to attract. Deciding that she was in the mood to kill another one of those gluttonous pigs who had been terrorizing the city lately, she abruptly made a decision on her outfit, and called the articles of clothing to her hands with a thought. As she got dressed, she looked around at the room that could barely be called a home. There was an old green refrigerator that she kept nothing in but a steady supply of rum, a simple double bed with plain gray sheets and blankets, a beat up old red chair that at one time may have passed for a recliner, and a secondhand record player. The only thing in the apartment that she had apparently indulged in at all was the by now hefty album collection on her single bookcase.

Locking her loft behind her, the young vampire phased to the alley behind her building. She had been surprised when she found out about that particular ability. When she was still only a few days into her unlife, she had been wandering the streets aimlessly and hiding in alley doorways during the day, incredibly timid and fearful and alone. A male vampire had cornered her after backing her into one of these alleys, and had trapped her arms against the wall of the building he'd slammed her into. He had been whispering into her ear lasciviously about all the cruel things he planned to do to his sweet new pet when panic had overwhelmed her and she felt herself tumbling forward.

Crying out, she realized that she was now behind the extremely shocked vampire and had reacted on instinct as he was whirling to face her again. As he made a grab for her again, she had used her right hand to grasp his left forearm and her left to clamp onto his wrist with all the desperation she could muster. Using her shorter stature to her advantage, Lily had quickly kicked him in the gut and at the same time twisted and pulled as hard as she could, effectively ripping off his whole left arm and a good portion of his shoulder. As her would-be rapist collapsed on his knees, she had barely hesitated in dropping his severed arm and latching onto the right side of his neck. Once she had been a bit sickened by the violence of her first real kill, but now that she had grown up a bit, it brought a smile to her face. Lily's instincts had saved her that time and on many occasions since, and that useless pig hadn't had very much time to regret his choice of victims that night.

Still lost in her thoughts, she absentmindedly blended into the shadows of the night time city, making her way to one of her favorite haunts, a club frequented by what she had learned were artificial vampires made with chips. The vampire who had attacked her in the alley had been a FREAK. She didn't really know how the whole recipe worked out, but she had picked up that most of them were no better than rabid animals, and she enjoyed taking them out of this world. It was much better than feeding on innocent humans, and she felt like she was giving something back to the universe in exchange for the power it had given her, restoring a bit of the balance.

About a block away, her demeanor changed drastically, emerging from the shadows and taking on the appearance of a human girl, red eyes fading to green. As she stepped into the club and undid the buttons of her coat, she could feel the eyes of a good number of the males in the room raking over her young form. Smiling, she made her way to the bar. "Hey Ryan, how you doing, doll?" The effeminate brunette man smiled her way and said, "Lily! You know me, sweetie, happy as a bug in a bed. You want your usual?" At her nod, he made her rum and coke and leaned in close, saying in a completely different and much colder tone of voice, "Lots of new trash here tonight. You wanna help me take out the garbage later on?" Lily thought about it a moment before shaking her head, replying, "I'm in a foul mood. It'll be harder to find the kind of prey I'm looking for if I'm not alone." Being preoccupied with some of her unpleasant memories for the better part of the night already had done nothing to sweeten her disposition. Ryan gave her a knowing look and said, "All right, doll. But be careful." He blew her a kiss and walked to the newcomers at the end of the bar.

Ryan was Lily's only friend. Needless to say, she had some lingering trust issues. He also happened to be the only other true vampire she knew, and the kind soul who had found her on the street and taken her under his wing. He was the one who had explained about the FREAK chips, and over the last year, he had answered many questions about her new state. Unlike her, he wasn't turned against his will and abandoned by his maker, and his mistress had trained him well. He was sort of a surrogate older brother to Lily, and was the only person she trusted at all. They often hunted together, and he had shown her many "tricks of the trade." He taught her perhaps the most important lesson she had learned, which was that one always repaid ones debts, whether violence or kindness was due. Ryan was also the only one who knew the circumstances of her change, besides herself and her sire. He knew what she wanted more than anything.

With that thought, her mood darkened even more and she turned herself to the business at hand. Quickly finishing her drink, she made her way to the dance floor. As she had been expecting, she was quickly approached by a lecherous looking freak, and smiled invitingly at her quarry. He hadn't realized it yet, but she was subtly shifting through his thoughts, prying softly so as not to arouse his attention, she felt his arms wrap around her from behind. As they danced to the loud music, the deep bass seeming to pump through her veins, she heard him whisper into her ear, "How about a drink, baby?" Realizing that she had possibly aroused his suspicions, she pretended as if she couldn't hear and shouted over the music, "What?" She sensed his guard relax. If she had responded, he would have known she wasn't human; there was no way she could have heard him if she was. He smiled and she allowed him to lead her to the bar.

Alucard was strolling aimlessly through the area where he sensed the greatest number of freaks, when he felt a new aura. Two true nosferatu surrounded by freaks, and this aroused his suspicions. Based on the file he had been given, he had decided that the one taking out the imitation vampires in New York was most likely a true blood. The style was too animalistic for a Vatican dog, and he seriously doubted a purely human individual could inflict that much damage even on a lowly FREAK. His senses led him to an underground club called "The Hovel." As he walked down the grimy steps and into a short but liberally graffitied hall, he only became more sure that the object of his search was within. An extremely young vampire and one who was slightly older were inside, of this he was sure. The young one was a veritable mine of impending violence while the elder looked on in wary amusement.

Alucard decided to keep to the shadows and observe the situation, effortlessly blending into the darkness of the club. He sorted through the different auras of the vampires and humans in the club, and decided that the two true bloods were a young woman and a bartender. The bartender was a bit older than his companion, who was a very young child in Alucard's opinion. The barkeep was incredibly nondescript but graceful. The kind of vampire who could slip in anywhere unnoticed and slip back out as easily.

The woman had thick unruly black hair that fell to just below her shoulder blades, and dark eyes. And she was wearing an outfit that might as well have been screaming "I'm hunting" to the practiced eye. Sleeveless white oxford shirt, cinched in at the waist by a black satin corset that only accentuated her already curvy figure. Her short black pleated satin miniskirt was worn over black tights, with flat cotton mary janes on her feet. She wore small hoops on her ears, and a thin black leather collar was buckled around her neck. The woman was an eye-catching mixture of little-girl innocence and just-under-the-surface sensuality. She reminded Alucard vaguely of his Police Girl. And to him, it was obvious what she was hunting. That outfit was practically designed to attract a less-than-honorable bloodsucker. He noted with amusement that it had only taken both of the vampires about a minute to notice, even if they had not yet located, his presence.

Abruptly, Lily became aware of a new aura, even though she couldn't pin-point its location. She shot a quick look at Ryan and noticed he also took on a carefully nonchalant look and scanned the bar furtively. Lily looked at her "date" and mentally pushed him to ask her to leave with him. Suddenly, the young freak took her hand and said, "Hey honey, why don't we take this somewhere more private?" Lily affected a nervous look and stole a glace at her watch before replying "Um, how about we go get a cup of coffee? I know a good shop near here." She still had several hours before sunrise. He agreed and as she gently probed his thoughts again, she knew that if he had his way, they would not make it to the coffee shop. But that was fine with her as she had never planned on taking him there anyway. She really did like that shop, and didn't want to contaminate it. So she stood and he followed her, walking out of the club in the direction of an abandoned building she knew would be vacant at this time of night, except for a few homeless people.

Lily was being watched, she was sure of it. As she led the freak towards the decrepit hotel she was going to use tonight she could almost feel the gaze on her back. Subtly, she manipulated the young freak into making his move right outside the building she had chosen. This one really was a few McNuggets short of a Happy Meal. Lily felt her arm grabbed roughly and twisted behind her back as he dragged her through a side entrance. His hand over her mouth smelled like old blood and dirty sex, and she had to resist biting him just to get his disgusting fingers farther away from her nose. He threw her on the filthy bed of the first room they came to, and flung himself on top of her, pinning her arms above her head. "I'm going to have some fun and then drain you dry, girly. Just bad luck, I guess." Lily smiled dangerously at him, and enjoyed his confused look for a short second before she struck.

Alucard followed the young girl to a decrepit hotel, and watched as she skillfully manipulated the young freak into doing what she wanted. He had to admit, this girl knew what she was doing. She was playing with that trash like a cat would play with a mouse, and he was taking the bait hook, line, and sinker. Taking on his shadow form, he watched as she allowed herself to be assaulted, and as the freak threw her on the bed, caught the small smile that he took as a sign that the game had come to an end.

He then watched in amusement as she appeared behind her prey, surprising both her victim and her hunter. He had not expected one so young to be so in control of her own power. Grabbing his throat from behind, she slammed his face into the wall hard enough to splinter the old wood into his skin, and roughly dropped him before grabbing him again, this time pulling his arms straight towards her with her foot planted in the middle of his back. Alucard heard the sound of cracking bones as the freak screamed obscenities and dropped to the floor, his two now useless arms hanging by his side. Alucard received another shock as the girl said without looking at him, "I don't know who you are, but I hope you're enjoying the show, Mr. Shadow." The freak looked confused, and she returned her full attention to her quarry.

Lily wasn't having very much fun with this one. He was so naïve he barely fought back, shocked that she had tricked him. Laughing mirthlessly, she said coldly, "What, lover boy? Surprised? But you weren't planning anything very nice for me either, were you? Didn't you think I'd notice? You were going to rape me and drain me, and not even because you were thirsty. You were just bored. So I thought I'd have some fun and show you what it's like to be the prey." And with that, she stomped on his right thigh, breaking it just above the knee. Feeling a stronger presence behind her, she turned her head to see a very tall, very pale man in a ridiculous hat and a red coat leaning against the wall and watching her.

"Ah, mystery boy decides to show his face. What a nice hat." Catching his smirk at her sardonic words before looking back at the cowering freak before her, she said, "You got lucky, lover. I have something much more interesting to do now than waste time torturing you, so this is gonna go a little quicker than I'd planned. You should be grateful." And with that, she lovingly cradled his face in her hands before roughly wrapping a small hand in his hair, jerking his head to the side to expose his neck and sinking her fangs in as far as she could. Greedily sucking the life from him, she concentrated fully on making this feeding the most painful thing this shit for brains asshole had ever felt. Dropping his lifeless form to the ground, she punched him hard in the nose, obliterating his face and most of his head before he could go ghoul, just to be sure. This one would not rise again.

Lily stood up and leisurely brushed the stray dust from her skirt and hands. She cast an appraising eye at the stranger who was still watching her with that arrogant smirk on his face. She could almost taste his darkness, and knew that he was much, much older and far more powerful than her. "Well, Red, I assume you followed me for a reason? Or do you object to the way I treated this one?"


	2. Lily Meets the Steel Blonde of Hellsing

Note: I don't own Hellsing. Acquiring no currency for this.

Title: Lily

Chapter: 2 - Lily Meets the Steel Blonde of Hellsing

Lily watched the man in red as he chuckled. She could feel that laugh in her stomach, and idly wondered if she was finally to meet her end. "No, little one, I don't intend to kill you. But I want to ask you some questions, and I'm sure my master would like to meet one such as you." With that, he took two long steps forward (how had she not realized just how tall he was?) and without further ado scooped her over his shoulder. Lily's mouth dropped open in shock as a portal that seemed to be made of shadows opened up before them, and her captor stepped through it.

Integra was about three-quarters of the way through her paperwork when she felt the shadows shift and the air around her grew a bit colder. Surprised, she leaned back in her chair. She honestly thought that Alucard would have taken longer to find his target. And then as she watched the void open, she caught the first sounds coming from it. Various obscenities and slurs against Alucard's bloodline were emanating from the portal. As her servant stepped through the portal, she looked on in shock as the tiny female he had slung over his shoulder fought viciously and shouted what Integra could only assume was the end of a well-deserved rant, catching only "me go, you overgrown bastard son of a godless whoring bitch monster from hell!" Eyebrows raised, she buzzed Walter and asked for another tray of tea, hoping he could hear her over the racket.

Lily was beyond furious, past rage, straight into pissed the fuck off. That arrogant bastard had unceremoniously slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and stalked off with her, like some sort of prize, to God knows where. She felt the sudden change in air pressure and looked around her. She was in some sort of gloomy office, and the air seemed a bit more humid than she was used to. And yet, she was still being carried over a shoulder. Deciding to try a new tactic, she phased out of his grasp and appeared right behind the red behemoth. Putting her hands on his back and pushing with all her strength, he didn't stumble, but he didn't immediately try to restrain her again. And that was all the opening Lily needed. Her enraged mind started ranting out loud, "What the flying fuck do you think you're fucking doing? Just because I don't attack you outright doesn't mean you can carry me off into the night like some fucking angel of death! What the fuck is your malfunction? And what the hell is this about wanting me to meet your master? I don't give a flying rat's ass about who you want me to meet, you had abso-fucking-lutely no right to grab me in the middle of a hunt and carry me off to god knows where because it struck your fucking insane fancy! I don't give a good goddamn who you think you are, and I have enough sense to know you're more powerful than I am, but Jesus fucking Christ, give a girl a little warning!"

It was only then that she noticed the blonde behind the huge desk, who was eyeing her with a sense of amusement. Lily sniffed a bit and realized that the woman was human. Turning to the insufferable man in red she said, "You would allow yourself to be ordered about by a human? She must be more substantial than she looks." Lily suddenly shifted moods, meeting his annoyed crimson eyes with a completely calm look. Suddenly deciding to ignore the red-clad vampire, she turned her attention to the blonde woman. "And who might you be?"

Integra looked at the tiny girl in shock. She couldn't be more than 5'3", and yet she exuded a sense of power and confidence that the blonde had rarely encountered. Integra replied to the question with a small smile and said, "I am Sir Integra Wingates Hellsing, of the Hellsing Organization. I asked Alucard to bring you here. I assume you are the one who has been exterminating the freaks in New York?"

Lily was reassured by the aura of complete confidence that the little blonde woman in front of her seemed to leak, especially as Lily was nowhere near as sure of herself as she was putting on. Desperately hoping Red hadn't picked up on this, she considered the question, and responded with a sly look, "Yes, you could say that. Because I'm not dead yet, am I to assume you approve? And how come you're called Sir? I thought that title was reserved for males. You're obviously not a man." And with that comment, Lily let her eyes rake over the woman's curves, which she seemed to be trying to hide desperately behind an olive green suit, letting a little of her sexuality ooze into the comment. Earning a chuckle from Alucard, Lily pressed onward. "So, why do I deserve the honor of being dragged from my home over the shoulder of an arrogant asshole who didn't even have the manners to introduce himself before abducting me? Not very gentlemanly, I have to say." Lily watched with keen eyes as the woman reached into a drawer and withdrew a cigar, which she promptly lit. Seeing that Sir Integra was smoking, Lily withdrew a pack of cigarettes from somewhere in her coat and asked, "Mind if I smoke?" Without waiting for an answer, she lit a cigarette and said, "Well? Why am I here? If you don't mind me asking. I'm getting a bit tired…it is getting pretty close to dawn, and you obviously already know what I am. So what gives?"

Integra regarded the smoking young woman in front of her. She didn't appear to be over twenty years old, and yet her demeanor said she was a bit older, if not in years, then in experience. "I asked Alucard to bring you here because we received reports that someone was exterminating FREAKs in the New York area, with apparently no provocation and in an extremely sadistic fashion. May I inquire as to your name?" The young vampire regarded her with a look that was cautious, appraising, and relaxed at the same time. She finally responded, saying "Lily." Integra raised her eyebrow for about the millionth time that night, and said, "Pardon?"

Lily looked at the blonde woman as if she were losing respect for her every second this asinine conversation went on. Repeating herself, she said, "My name is Lily. And yes, it is my pleasure to drain those scum dry. You must be influential, to know about my little escapades in the States." Lily had surmised that she wasn't in Kansas anymore from the change in the air around her and the woman's accent, which was decidedly cultured, sophisticated, English, and hard as steel. This was not a woman to be trifled with, she decided abruptly. Changing tactics, she decided to get straight to the point. "Why have you brought me here? And I'd really appreciate a straight answer this time, I'm very tired and growing weary of these games." Seeing Integra's change in expression, she stayed silent, thinking that she might actually get some answers out of this woman. But then the door opened and an older man entered, wearing a monocle and bearing a tray of what smelled like tea. At this interruption, Integra abruptly said, "Walter would you find our guest a room for the night? I believe she would be more comfortable in the lower levels, with Alucard and Seras." The man cast Lily an appraising glance and said, "Of course, Sir Integra." Turning to the newcomer, he gestured that she was to follow him and said, "If you'll come this way, please, I'm sure we can find you some suitable accommodations, and perhaps a meal if you're hungry."

Casting a dirty look at Alucard, she said, "No, I'm quite full." Shifting her gaze to Integra, she questioned, "I guess I'll find out why I'm here tomorrow night?" At Integra's nod, she allowed herself to be led from the room, gathering that she would not learn anything more at the moment, and any attempt to escape would be futile. The vampire called Alucard could obviously read her emotions, even if she did manage to keep her thoughts from him. And with that thought, she followed the monocled man from the office.


	3. Kitten Finds a New Friend

Note: Don't own. Making no money.

Title: Lily

Chapter: 3 - Kitten Finds a New Friend

Lily followed Walter through the stately halls of what she found out was a very large mansion. The man in front of her was calm enough for Lily to surmise that he was used to the presence of vampires. Although he did look a bit cautious of her, as if he was unsure of her intentions. Quickly, she caught up and fell in step beside him, slipping her right arm through his left, and flashing him a genuine smile as he cast her a startled look. "Relax, gramps. I've never killed a human who didn't royally deserve it, and I don't intend to start with you. You seem like a nice enough guy, so unless you switch personalities and try to get rough, you're safe. So, where am I?" Looking curiously out one of the windows they passed, she said, "Doesn't look like the city, and you guys are all way too civilized to be American." The man let out a dark chuckle and said, "Alucard didn't give you any warning, did he?" Lily laughed and said, "Nope, just chucked me over his shoulder and poof! Here I am. Is he always such an ass?" Walter actually smirked at that comment, and said, "Actually, he's usually worse. And to answer your question, you are at the Hellsing family estate, a few miles outside London." By this time they had reached a heavy door, and after Walter opened it she followed him down a long set of steps. Offhandedly, she remarked, "This place is creepy. I like it."

And with that, Lily followed him a short way down the hall and stopped in front of a heavy steel door. Inside was another stone staircase, but very short this time, that led into a spacious room. There was a large coffin in the corner and a small table with three chairs around it. A small dresser was pushed up against the wall opposite the coffin. "Sir Integra informed me that we might be having a guest, and so I had a room prepared. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. I should inform you, however, that Sir Integra will tolerate no feeding from humans while you are staying here. However, we will see that you are well fed." Lily smiled at the older man, and said "Honestly, I very rarely feed from humans. Only once…" Her expression darkened as she finished her sentence, "and believe me, that filthy excuse for humanity deserved much worse than what I did to him." Walter looked at her carefully and said, "Well Miss, I must get back upstairs. Sleep well." Turning, he walked toward the door and before exiting turned and said, "Oh, I am sorry. How rude of me, I completely forgot to ask your name." Lily looked at him and said, "My name is Lily. Goodnight, Walter." And with that, he shut the door behind him.

Looking around her and seeing no sources of amusement, she decided that she might as well lie down and see what she could gather of her situation. Shucking off her clothes and absently throwing them on the dresser, she laid down on the bed and let her mind roll out around her. Quickly honing in on the most interesting presence, she thought, "So you're the other one I've been feeling." She felt the girl in the room next to hers become alert as she felt the presence in her mind, and Lily quickly thought to her, "Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you, and I won't go rifling through your thoughts. That would just be rude, wouldn't it? I'm bored, do you mind if I come over?" Feeling the girl's cautious but curious acceptance, Lily's clothes quickly materialized on her body, looking the same as they did before she took them off. She walked through the wall and into the other room, and the girl gave a surprised squeak as Lily appeared. Smiling slightly, Lily looked at her and said the first thing that came to mind, "Yo. What's up?"

Seras was startled when she saw the woman walk through her wall as if it were air. She was used to her Master appearing through the walls, but she had expected at least a knock from this new presence. Then her jaw dropped open as she stared openly at the similarly tiny girl. Except for the hair color, they could have been, well not sisters, but cousins possibly. The woman looked at her in amusement, but not the sort of calculating and malicious amusement Seras was used to from her Master. She actually felt warmth in the small smile, and Seras heard her say something completely unexpected, "Yo. What's up?" Not really knowing how to respond to that, the blonde girl said "Um…who are you?"

When the girl asked her that, Lily laughed out loud. Sticking out her hand, she said "I'm Lily. You must be Seras?" Taking Seras's nod and handshake as an indication that she had guessed correctly, Lily continued, "So…you must be Red's fledgling." At Seras's confused look, Lily explained, "Your blood. It smells like him. Sweeter, though. Must be hell, having that arrogant mushroom head for a Master." Seras appeared to have lost all control over the English language, and looked absolutely shocked that anyone would refer to her Master in such a way. And then she burst out laughing. Lily smiled, feeling that she had put the girl at ease. Continuing, she said, "If you don't mind me saying so, I barely need to hear you talk. Your thoughts are clear as a bell. Just imagine that your mind is completely contained in yourself. What I mean to say is, just know that your mind is completely enclosed and cordoned off inside your body, and your head is sort of like a box that no one has a key to but you. It'll become automatic eventually." Smiling again at the now dumbfounded girl, she said "So, what do you do for fun around here? You are the only one besides Gramps with a sense of humor that isn't either sadistic or completely insane. Wanna show me around? We've still got about an hour before the sun comes up."

And that was how Seras and Lily ended up sitting in Lily's coffin, talking about blood. The sun had risen half an hour ago, and while giving Lily a brief tour of the mansion's most useful locations (kitchen, garden, shooting range) the two had become fast friends. Lily felt a little sorry for the blonde girl. It was obvious from the way she responded gratefully to the attention that Seras was very lonely. When they got back to the basement, Seras seemed as if she was almost sorry that the tour had ended. That was when Lily had taken her by the wrist and pulled Seras into her room, saying cryptically "There's something I want to ask you about." Bypassing the table and chairs, she had dragged Seras straight into her coffin, and bluntly asked, "Why do you not want to drink the blood? I can tell you haven't been eating properly; you're skin and bones in a pale white sack. I won't make fun of you, but I am curious." After a slight hesitation and an encouraging smile from her new friend, Seras explained about her fear of losing her human side, and becoming a monster like her Master. She had been shocked when Lily pulled her into a tight hug, and pet her hair as if she were a kitten. Startled by the thought of her old nickname, she once again stared at this strange girl who was still holding onto her quite tightly.

Lily chuckled, pulling back slightly and said, "Well, you are a bit like a kitten. Cute like one, too. Sweetie, from what you've told me, all you get around here is donated blood. Key word here being 'donated.' You won't lose your humanity through anything as simple as eating what you need to stay alive. And even if you were feeding from humans, you don't have to kill them." At Seras's shocked look, Lily let a look of irritation cross her face. "Your sire is almost as bad as mine. He doesn't tell you anything, does he? I suppose he wants you to learn for yourself, but sometimes, a small lesson is necessary before a child learns to walk. Seras, listen to me. It would take more than eating to destroy this humanity you're so fond of. It's a part of who you are. Feeding can be intensely pleasurable for the human. You need only take enough to sate your thirst, and they'll wake up with nothing but a headache and a fond memory. But refusing to drink because of your idealism is silly. Would you fault a fox for eating a rabbit? I thought about this a lot when I was first turned, because I had a similar problem. Everything in this world moves in a circle, giving and taking from the earth. Vampires are creatures of the earth as well, kitten. Think about it. I won't bother you about it again." When Lily looked at Seras again, the girl was sitting in her arms staring at her, again with that dumbfounded look on her face. They were still sitting in that position when both heard a dark chuckle.

Seras nearly jumped out of her skin, while Lily lazily looked over at the table and said "Hey, Red. You know, you've got good taste. She's awfully cute." Seras was blushing furiously and looking as if she wished the floor would eat her. Alucard chuckled again and said, "Why, Police Girl, I never would have guessed you were batting for the girl's team." At this comment, Lily looked over at Seras and laughed. If any more blood rushed into that girl's head, she was going to pass out. Lily didn't even know how Seras mustered a blush that fierce with so little blood in her system. "Oh, Kitten and I were just talking about blood. Or a lack thereof, anyway." At this comment, the elder vampire seemed to perk up and Lily heard a voice in her head saying, "I don't know how you did it, but I think the Police Girl is actually planning on drinking her supper. You might be worth keeping around after all." Lily promptly flipped him off and thought back, "Well, if you had tried a method other than ridicule or threats, it might have worked out better for you." He just flashed her that psychotic grin that Lily was quickly beginning to associate with impending irritation and said, "You know, Integra was quite impressed with your vocabulary. Something about having an intuitive understanding of my character."

Lily was actually getting sleepy, and this time it wasn't just an excuse to get out of Sir Integra's office. "So, did you come here just to compliment my fluent cursing, or was there a point to this little visit?" Alucard just smirked at her, like the situation was endlessly amusing, and said, "Well, you were proceeding so nicely in the seduction of my little fledgling that I just thought I'd come and watch. You're both so nicely proportioned; after all, I didn't want to miss a good show. Things are always so boring around here." Seras looked at her with wide and much too innocent eyes, and Lily burst out laughing. "He's teasing, Kitten. I wasn't actually trying to seduce you. If I was, you'd be wearing far fewer clothes and you'd be much happier at the moment." Seras made a choking sound and said "I think I'll go to bed now. See you later, Lily. Good day, Master" Lily smiled at her as she scampered out of the room, and turned her attention back to the irritating male who was still sitting at her table. "She's fun. And now that she's gone, we can get on with it. Ask what you came to ask, and let me answer, because I'm actually getting tired this time."

Alucard looked at the tiny girl staring calmly at him from the coffin, and propped his feet up on the table. "I want to know who made you. If you're any indication, he was obviously powerful. In my experience, one so young is usually not free from her Master." Lily regarded him steadily for a moment before saying, "Frankly, Red, that's none of your motherfucking business. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to sleep." And with that, Lily pushed the button to shut the coffin lid and laid down, phasing out of her clothes and throwing them on the dresser. Alucard sat at the table with that amused smirk and said, "Integra will ask you tomorrow night. It's of importance to her precious organization, so you might as well just tell her, because she'll find out, one way or the other." He heard a voice in his head say "Then I'll tell her, but I don't particularly like you, mushroom head. I see no reason to answer your questions. Besides, patience is a virtue. Exercise some. And while you're at it, take that ridiculous hat and get the fuck out."


	4. Restless Nights

Note: Don't own, make no money from this.

Title: Lily

Chapter: 4- Restless Nights

Alucard was bored. Tragically bored. Unutterably and unreservedly bored. He was convinced that if he lived for another six centuries, he would be able to instantly recreate from memory this room. Closing his eyes, he visualized the heavy iron door, the spacious room dominated by the only furniture visible from the door, a tall-backed wooden chair upholstered in green, with a small table beside it. On that table, a glass half-filled with thick red liquid, and next to it a wine bottle of mostly drunk blood. His coffin was in the pitch black back left corner of the room, and the only other thing in the space was Alucard. Sitting in his chair, disgusted with existence.

Integra had thrown him out of her office twice already. Walter was working on some modifications on his Casull, and Alucard's self-interest was adamant in its refusal to pull anything that might interrupt the work on one of his favorite tools of destruction. He had to consider how having only one gun would affect his rate of slaughter, of course. The troops were all training somewhere else for the afternoon and the house staff were enjoying their day off, so it was no use scaring the piss out of them. Police Girl was asleep and dreaming about a floating fat man babbling about her gun. Alucard grimaced and decided he was definitely certain he never wanted to understand how that child's mind worked.

And then there was the newest addition to the Hellsing household. Earlier in the day she had been, for all intents and purposes, dead to the world, and he had been able to read her thoughts clearly; however, then she had been sleeping deeply and dreamlessly. About seven minutes ago, though, her mind had clamped shut like a steel vise and all Alucard could glean were shades of her strongly felt emotions. The girl was radiating anguish and heartbreak so strongly he could almost taste it from the other side of the dungeon. Suddenly, her energy spiked a bit and Alucard noticed that the Police Girl, who had been sleeping fitfully since Lily had started tossing and turning, jerked awake. Lily was still asleep however.

Quickly teleporting to the Police Girl's room, he pulled off the nonchalant entrance perfectly, in his opinion. Her coffin was still shut, but he could tell that she had once again smacked her head on the lid. Slowly, her coffin began to open.

Seras cursed and rubbed her forehead, having once again been startled awake and jerked to a sitting position, only to find that there wasn't room in her coffin for her to sit up so suddenly. Irritably, she searched for the button to raise the lid of her bed. Squinting into the darkness of her room, she squeaked and almost fell out of bed upon realizing there was a dark figure lounging in one of her chairs. However, upon further inspection, she noticed the careless way the figure's boots were propped up on her table and instantly recognized her Master.

Alucard realized that Seras had finally become aware of his presence, and said, "Why are you awake so early, Police Girl? Bad dreams?" Seras looked a bit startled and hesitantly said, "I don't know...I just woke up..." Alucard sensed her reluctance and probed further, "I asked you a straightforward question and I expect a straightforward answer, Police Girl. Now...Dreams?" Seras hesitated and said, "It was like vague flashes of pain and terror...I've had nightmares before, but none like this. It was more like I was watching someone else's nightmare from behind a screen...where I couldn't see clearly...but I could vaguely sense the feeling from the dream." At that, Alucard replied, "Go back to sleep, Police Girl. You just had a nightmare." Seras had always loved her Master's voice and let it lull her back to sleep, muttering an obedient, "Good day, Master."


	5. A Trip To The Kitchen

Note: Don't own Hellsing. That honor goes to Kouta Hirano.

Title: Lily

Chapter: 5 - A Trip to the Kitchen

Lily woke up at sundown the next night, feeling slightly less grumpy but not very refreshed. She hadn't woken up from her nightmares like she usually did, but she felt like she had tossed and turned all day; groaning in the darkness she had a feeling her dreams had receded for the time being, but they were just biding their time in the shadows. Fumbling around for the control box that would raise the lid on her coffin, she blinked around owlishly in the dim light of her dungeon room. There was a pack of blood sitting on the thick green runner on her small table, no doubt left by Walter during the day. From what Seras had told her, all the other house staff were terrified of the basement, and Alucard did his absolute best to keep it that way.

Stumbling out of bed and across to the table, she less than gracefully tripped over the chair and toppled into a tangled and wholly undignified vampire-chair mess on the hard gray floor. Groggily gripping the edge of the table and thanking all the deities she could think of that Alucard wasn't there, she pulled herself off the floor and growled out a very irritated "Stupid fucking no good piece of _shit_ chair" and threw out a vicious, if a bit petulant, kick. Wincing, she realized she was now down to two places to sit. "Whatever," she thought, "no one ever accused me of being a morning person." Face shifting into a scowl, she bleakly remembered that she didn't wake up in the morning any more. She thought that considering she had just been dragged from her home and only real friend, had to endure the all-mighty Red's infuriating presence, was being held against her will in a foreign country with no explanation, forced to sleep in a strange bed, and had tripped over and then annihilated a helpless chair, she couldn't be blamed for her less than sunshiney disposition.

Remembering what she had dragged her ass out of bed for in the first place, she started to greedily snatch her blood off the table, when it dawned on her that the blood was on ice. Her blood. It was on ice. Fucking ice. The twice-damned shit had fucking condensation beading on the outer plastic. Crinkling her nose, she looked around and noticed that her clothes were freshly laundered and folded neatly on the small dresser on the other side of the room. Near the point of whining out loud to the walls, she quickly shrugged on her tights, skirt, shirt, and shoes before trudging up the basement staircase. Seras had shown her where the kitchen was the night before, and Lily quickly retraced her steps, smiling at some of the staff who were obviously frightened of her presence.

Quickly making her way to the kitchen, she unconsciously moved silently until she realized Walter hadn't heard her approach. Black mood slightly bolstered by the realization that the seemingly ever-aware butler hadn't realized she was there, she let out a low whistle at the state-of-the-art and obviously expensively decorated kitchen, startling him and saying "Wow, you might have to show me how to work the microwave. It looks like I could accidentally blow up the whole house with that thing." Walter quickly recovered himself and shot her an amused look, saying "What might you need the microwave for, Miss? I left your blood on your table."

Lily tried to keep the grossed out look off her face and replied, "You really give it to Seras cold? No wonder the poor girl doesn't like to eat. I don't have any problems feeding and it kind of gives me the willies thinking about drinking it cold. Like sucking up chilly snot." Walter looked surprised and said, "Really? I never thought that there might be a difference." Then Lily walked over to the microwave and cocked her head to the side, slightly in awe of all the buttons and dials. It looked like the controls for a spaceship. Giving Walter a pleading look, Lily said "Pretty please? I'll even put the blood in a glass so it doesn't explode all over your microwave."

Walter looked as if she had startled him out of another train of thought and said, "Of course, Miss. First, you push this button to tell it that you want to enter in a certain time, and use this keypad to enter that time. Then use this button and keypad to enter the power setting you'd like to use, and last you turn this dial to the lock the door." Lily was staring at the microwave with a look of intense concentration, and said "Okay, I think I've got it." Walter turned to the tray he had been preparing of Sir Integra's first sitting of tea that night, when he heard a long string of indistinct curses. Turning back to Lily, he realized her brow was furrowed and she was muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "fucking machine...don't even have a microwave at home...why...the damn dials...many buttons...must...defy all my reasonable instruction" and the longer she grumbled the more irritably she was pushing, well now punching, the microwave's controls.

Lily was glaring at the stupid machine that was insisting on pushing her to abandon all forms of non-psychotic logic, when she realized that Walter had walked over and was in the process of asking her if she'd like for him to prepare it this once and simply leave it in her room at the correct temperature from now on. "Thank you Walter, that would be the best thing that's happened to me in recent memory," she said and shot him a grateful smile. Stepping back from the control pad, he began pushing buttons and turning dials as she asked, "Would there happen to be a place where I could, I don't know...chain smoke while I drink this?" Having set the controls, he pointed to a wooden door across the expanse of dark moss green tile, and stated "You shouldn't be bothered out there," and picked up Sir Intregra's tray. Lily grinned at him and hoped he picked up on her silent thanks for understanding the question she was actually asking. Walter turned to leave and the stupid machine, as she had now dubbed it, beeped to let her know her blood was finished warming. Grabbing the glass and quickly moving through the door, she stepped outside and felt much more comfortable in the dark.

Looking around, Lily realized she quite liked the little alcove Walter had directed her to. Just outside the door, there was a rather small rectangular space that opened on the outer longer side to her right to overlook the lawn and further off, the forest. It was set in a perfect spot to always be in shadow, while still giving a moonlit view outside. There was a small grey iron and dark wood bench sitting against the wall and made like the familiar ones of the park near her loft. Even before she had been turned, Lily always felt safer in the shadows with walls blocking everything that was out of her immediate range of vision. Filing the location away for future needs to be outside, she made her way over to the bench and sat down. Taking a swig of the sorely needed blood and lighting a cigarette, Lily wondered at how the grass always took on that silver green hue under the moon, while still managing to look dark and lush. She was reminded of the waves in the water at the piers in New York, and suddenly she desperately missed Ryan and his steady dark eyes. Somehow he could always calm her down and make her look at a situation rationally.

Letting out a harsh chuckle, she realized that from now on she was going to have to be the one to keep her logic grounded in reality. Lily had a bad feeling that if she didn't, this situation was going to go from bad to unbelievably worse. She swirled the blood in her glass around leisurely and crossed her legs, taking another drink. So far, she had been treated amenably, and she had genuinely grown fond of Seras in the admittedly short time they'd spent talking, but Lily was not stupid. She would not have survived so far if she was, and she had no intentions whatsoever of developing a defect in intellect now. She had absolutely no idea who these people were or what they wanted with her, or even exactly where in England she was, unless 'somewhere outside London' counted as a specific location. Hell, she wasn't absolutely sure they were in England, but from all observations she thought they were telling her the truth about that. The landscape certainly looked English, and everyone she had spoken with since she had arrived, with the exception of herself and Red, definitely had very British accents. The simple fact that Walter had not thought twice about giving her a clear line of escape from the compound gave her a bad feeling. Even if she ran, she doubted that it would do any good. Whoever they were, they had managed to somehow keep Alucard under control. It was a fact that he was older and more powerful than her, and that did not bode well for her going AWOL.

Continuing to sip her blood, she gazed at the black clouds, and lit another cigarette. With a sigh, she realized that she only had four left and was either going to have to get someone to get her a pack or she was going to have to somehow bribe a soldier into trading some to her. Considering that she literally had nothing but the clothes on her back, Lily quickly decided that the latter option was out. Maybe she could guilt Integra into giving her one of those cigars. Remembering the blonde's icy disposition the night before, Lily didn't really think that plan was going to work either. Almost done with her blood, she frowned again and stared into the dark forest that seemed to surround the house, from what she had seen. There was a challenge. Anyone who could put up with Alucard as long as Integra obviously had would not be someone to antagonize unnecessarily. Red had told her that Integra would ask her about her past, and expect an answer. However, Lily had no way of knowing if that was just a ploy to persuade her to sate his curiosity. She would almost be surprised if he didn't try to do something like that if it would get what he wanted.

Worried lips set in a grim line, she sucked in the last drag of her second cigarette, took one last look around at her peaceful haven, and walked back into the kitchen. As she was rinsing out her glass in the sink, she heard someone coming down the hall towards her, and realized Seras's presence was moving towards her. Setting the cup in the sink, she turned toward the door in time to see Seras burst in and promptly freeze at the sight of Lily leaning casually against the kitchen counter waiting on her. Seras quickly smiled and walked into the room saying "You're hard to find! I've been looking for you for a half-hour! Sir Integra wanted to speak with you." Lily forced out a small smile for Seras, but all the warmth went out of her eyes as she steeled herself for the upcoming battle.


	6. Messing With Minds

Note: Don't own, no money from this.

Title: Lily

Chapter: 6

GREAT BIG FAT WARNING! READ THIS! FOR SERIOUS! This chapter is where we find out probably a lot more than we wanted to know about a certain part of Lily's past. I don't want to spoil it, but I think things like this should be warned for: mentions of torture, rape, murder, kidnapping, etc. Nothing incredibly explicit, but it's detailed enough that if you are sensitive about any of this, I strongly recommend you discontinue reading this story or at least skip this chapter and let your imagination fill in some blanks. You won't miss anything terribly important to the plot, and I'll recap anything you need to know at the beginning of the next chapter. Now that that's done, onward!

As Lily followed Seras through the hallways, the truly magnificent entryway she has missed on her first excursion, and up the stairs towards Sir Integra's office, her mind was chasing itself around in circles. She had had no indication that these people meant to harm her, but she had had little to no indication that they did not intend to harm her either. Lily was, inwardly, a mass of nerves, but outwardly she was struggling to put on a show of indifference. She was feverishly trying to think of all the things Integra might ask her, and how she should phrase her answers to seem as natural as possible. She did not care if these people knew that she had been turned against her will, but she was also vehemently opposed to letting them know the exact circumstances of her turning. No one knew, apart from Ryan, and she intended to keep it that way. From all indications, it would probably help her case to be the innocent victim, who had been tortured into accepting what her sick Master had offered...No, what her sick son of a whore Master had tortured her into agreeing to after killing her sister in front of her and keeping her locked in a cell for who knows how long under the threat of constant abuse. But, no matter how much it might help her case with her newest captors, she found that she just couldn't admit her helplessness in the face of her sister's death, her torture, the molestation by the nameless servant, her eventual acceptance of the fate that _He_ had assigned her. She had paid back that disgusting mortal servant, the only human she had slaughtered. And she thought slaughtered because that is what she had done to him, what her Master had expected her to do, what He had left the worthless bastard behind for. He left him for her first meal, He left him slobbering on the floor, his mind utterly destroyed, waiting there for her. He had known that she would wake ravenous, see only her tormentor, and exhibit her worst side to the repulsive worm who had beaten her, beaten her sister, raped her sister, touched her, breathed on her, breathed in her mouth, turned her over and...hit her, struck her sister, stuck it in her sister in front of her, defiled her mouth, while Lily sobbed and pleaded. He knew she would kill him, knew she would not show mercy, ripped him apart...torn him apart...severed his limbs and his head and his filthy tongue he had put on her, ripped it out of his mouth and replaced it with that filthy thing between his legs, her sister with dark hair and green eyes, her sister whose eyes were dead even if she was still breathing and even after she wasn't breathing, his bones shattering and splintering through his skin, his windpipe in her hands, squeezing her fingers into his eyes, putting them out forever, doesn't matter he was a servant too, killed him, ripped his throat out, fell on him like an animal, suck him dry, clear it all out, pull him into pieces...He left her sister with her for comfort, her skin going shiny and puffing up, the flies, the smell, wriggling in her eyes...

She suddenly realized that Seras had stopped and was looking at her in horror. Quickly Lily grabbed ahold of her mind, shutting it off, shutting it all off, shutting it all out, praying to whatever forsaken deity that might hear her pleas that Red had not heard her thinking. Seras certainly had, and Lily cursed inwardly as she quickly realized that whatever Seras knew her precious Red knew, because Seras couldn't possibly hope to shut out her Master. Lily smiled a bit shakily at Seras and said, "Never mind, it's not for you. Don't worry about what your Master's Master must know." And as Lily looked directly into Seras's eyes she said, in as low a tone as she could manage, "It is for your Master's Master. Not your business."

Seras, who had been staring at Lily in open-mouthed shock abruptly closed her mouth and continued on as if nothing had happened. Lily, however, was in a state of high alarm, berating herself for allowing her thoughts to become so chaotic that she had actually broadcasted them. She was not foolish enough to think for a second that Red would not realize his fledgling had been tampered with and was certainly not stupid enough to think he wouldn't immediately know it was Lily's doing. She had panicked and she couldn't stand the way Seras had been gazing at her in terror. As she continued following the now bubbly Seras toward Integra's office, Lily was positive that this situation was about to blow up in her face. She had tampered with her only ally's memory, lost her shit before the interrogation had even begun, she may as well have shouted her secrets through a megaphone from the mansion's roof, and to top it all off, now she was walking through an office door that may as well have been a gaping maw of infernal doom with no strategy to defend herself. At this point, Lily concluded that all she could do was walk forward to her certain demise. So she pulled her last cigarette out of her pocket and lit it without asking, figuring there was nothing to lose at this point.

Integra looked up as the door suddenly opened and stared at both Lily and Seras. Alucard was standing behind his Master's desk gazing out the window and humming, completely inappropriately, what sounded like a tune from a carnival merry-go-round. Lily was surprised at the lack of reprimand for her obviously late arrival. Integra simply gestured to the chair that had been placed a few feet in front of her desk and said, "Seras, you will stay and situate yourself behind our guest. I trust you are not offended at the precaution, Lily?" By this point, Lily resigned herself to her fate and merely shrugged. Seras, however, stated in a completely matter-of-fact tone, "Sorry Sir Integra. I don't worry about what my Master's Master must know. Not my business." And without further ado, smartly turned and began to walk straight back out the door. Lily winced visibly, Red disappeared from the window and all but snatched Seras up into his arms, and Integra snapped a fierce glare at Lily.

"What have you done to my servant, vampire?" Integra's tone brooked no argument, but as Lily had already decided she had nothing to lose, she just took what was sure to be her last long drag on a cigarette. Alucard piped in and said, in a voice that might have been impressed if it hadn't been so full of animosity, "She's played with the Police Girl's mind. I can fix it, but it will take a moment." He then added, "Seras, you will go to your coffin. You will wait for your Master there. You will not leave your coffin except to drink the blood Walter will bring you." As Seras parroted the order back and turned to leave once again, Alucard released his charge and took up the post beside Lily's chair, which had suddenly sprouted manacles made of what looked like extremely dark shadows around her ankles, wrists, and neck. There was silence as Integra took out one of those cigars Lily was now quite sure she would never taste, and snapped, "Who made you?" As Lily could see no point in keeping it to herself, she said, "I don't know his name," not bothering to keep the venom out of her voice. Integra exhaled smoke slowly, carefully, and asked, "Where were you made?" And Lily answered again, her voice taking on a disturbingly blank aspect, "I don't know where we were. Never got out much to see the sights." Sitting here in this chair, her cigarette still curling smoke into the air from the floor where it had fallen, Lily had a startling change of heart. What was the point of fighting to keep this secret? Surely Alucard had a way of getting into her head, through one method or another, and she could save herself a lot of physical pain and maybe still be in some condition to get out of this if she cooperated. As she realized that she was on the verge of telling this woman anything she asked, Lily had a vague notion that this was a taste of Red's mind-fuckery, but the thought curled away from her like the smoke from her cigarette.

Again, Integra was questioning her, "How can you not have at least known your Master's name?" Lily actually snorted at this, and stated "It was so dark in that room I could barely recognize my own sister." For some reason, Lily's tongue was getting looser, and she had that tingly feeling in her thighs and arms she got when she'd just started to get properly drunk. Integra seemed to realize this and prodded, "What sister? How did you get to the room?" The tingly feeling was getting more and more pronounced, and she vaguely heard a familiar voice screaming "Shut up! Shut up! You were off-balance and he's got you! Close your filthy mouth!" However, what Lily actually did was begin dictating the last few clear memories of her mortal life, completely free of further urging from Integra.

"My sister Dawn went to meet a man. She had been acting oddly for a couple days, spacing out, walking around like a zombie, answering questions in ways that made no sense. I insisted on going with her. I thought we were going to a bar, she led me in that direction, but veered off down an alley. I was worried. She walked over to a man with dark blond hair and ordinary clothes. I don't even remember what he looked like, he was so nondescript. I had lagged behind because I was nervous. He grabbed her and appeared in front of me. I was so surprised I didn't even scream when he grabbed me too and dragged us into a car. The car was dusty brown, not old but not new. Another man was driving. My sister slid to the floor with her eyes closed and something hit me on the back of my neck. I woke up in the room, chained to the wall. That's how I got there."

Silence, for another moment, as Integra again inhaled and slowly exhaled the smoke from her cigar. "What happened in the room? Where is your sister?" At this, Lily visibly struggled to keep the information from pouring out of her mouth, although she still spoke in that same blank tone of voice, succinctly summing up the following weeks of torture. "He came in. He told my sister that He had changed His mind. Dawn's little sister was so much more delectable. The other man came in. He said, 'You can have the older girl. The younger is mine. Do not compromise her.' The other man fell to his knees and kissed His shoes. He crawled to my sister and licked her cheek. Dawn was sobbing, screaming for Him. He had promised her. He laughed and said 'I'm a liar.' The other man was licking her knees now. He said that I would be His, by my own choice. I was screaming at Him, insulting Him, but he just knelt down and kissed my cheek. Then He stood up and kicked me in the face. I heard my cheekbone was shatter. The other man was crawling across my sister, touching her even though she was crying all over him. He left the room. The other man raped her for the first time that night, and I couldn't reach her, even after he left. The other man never spoke in my presence. I don't know how long I was there. They fed my sister less and hurt her more than me. I hated her. This was all her fault. Even after Dawn had died from the abuse and starvation, they left her with me. He said it was to comfort me. The other man touched me, but never 'compromised' me. I watched Dawn be turned into a home for insects, so I guess I was there for a while. One night I finally broke, and he drank my blood. After I had turned, he forced his blood into my mouth, and the next night I woke up hungry, no longer restrained. I have never felt so filthy. The other man was chained up where Dawn had been. I tore him into pieces, starting at his fingers and toes and working my way towards the middle. I stumbled away. I don't know how I got back to the city. I don't know what happened to my sister's body."

Quiet again, and Integra was still staring at her from behind her desk. Lily had completely given in. Her secret was lost. She had said it out loud, again. There was no longer any point in pretending to fight. Integra took another drag on her cigar and asked, "Why were you killing the FREAKS?" Lily promptly began her explanation again. "I was wandering around New York, traumatized and starving. Ryan took me in after a FREAK tried to rape me in an alley. I killed him, but was so distraught that I had simply collapsed, luckily in the alley behind Ryan's bar. He taught me to hunt, he taught me what I was, he explained the FREAKS to me, he fed me and clothed me and housed me until I could do it for myself. FREAKS are scum. I won't victimize humans like Dawn and I were. I at least owe her that. So I eat my fill from the FREAKS, to at least try to make up for my filthy presence in the world. It's the least I can do for my sister until I find Him. I will destroy Him." That last declaration was said in such a determined tone that Lily realized again that she was the one speaking, and that the tingling was gone. The manacles were gone as well, but Alucard still stood beside the chair. She was shaking so violently her teeth were chattering, and her dark hair only emphasized that she had paled so visibly her skin was almost translucent.

Integra was still staring at her, and finally stubbed out her cigar in the clean ashtray waiting beside her elbow. She sighed and placed her hands on her desk in front of her, and stated, "Very well. You may go. Alucard will escort you to your chamber. You will not leave that chamber until I call for you." Lily was so shocked she couldn't find her own feet, even when Alucard took her by the elbow and led her, stumbling, from the room. The journey to her room was spent in silence, and as they approached the heavy door, Lily whispered, "Please tell Seras I'm sorry. I panicked and she was looking at me...so horrified..." As Lily trailed off, they reached the door, and Alucard stated matter-of-factly, "Tell her yourself once I've fixed her. I'm sure you will see her tomorrow night for an explanation."

Lily shrugged again and wearily shuffled to her coffin, and collapsed. Her nightmares were worse than ever that night.

A/N: This chapter was so hard to write. I haven't updated this story in a long long long time, but I'm finally in a space where I think I can be creative again. Hopefully someone will still be reading this, or will pick it up when I update. I know this is short, but that is deliberate. This chapter has some very touchy subject matter, and I didn't want to put in too much plot, so I could focus on trying to getting that panic and desperation packed in. I'm not sure I succeeded, but whatever. As always, I welcome all comments, from "Yay!" to "That sucked!" to "That could have been better, and here's how." Especially the third option.


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